Friday, December 4, 2009

The Legend of the Christmas Spider


Kelly Aubert send me this lovely bead christmas spider !!

(A folk legend from Germany and the Ukraine)


Once upon a time, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year....
The day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

T'was the Christmas eve at last ! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. But the oldest and widest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him. Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs, and cross the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. Thy must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room...so the crept all over the tree, up and down, over every branch and twig and saw every one of the pretty things. At last they satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree beauty.

But alas!! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God's creatures too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so He touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold!

Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our christmas trees, and according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.



Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Legend of Christmas Stockings



(Stocking Ornament that I made for Swap-Bot swap)

Do you like to have some story about the Chrismas Stockings.

*****************

In yet another version of the story of Saint Nicholas lies the origin of the tradition of washing the stockings on the night before Christmas and hanging them up on the window sill or near the hearth, in readiness to receive gifts from Santa.

It is said to happen 17 centuries ago in Turkey. Here the Bishop of Myra, Nicholas was known all over for his benevolence and love for children. He used to distribute gifts secretly to children on Christmas Eve as a surprise for them. While he was passing a house he heard a father and his daughters lamenting their poverty and how they were unable to be married because they could not provide dowry that was prevalent in those days.

Overcome with pity and sympathy, Nicholas observed the woolen stockings of the girls that they had put on the windowsill to dry and secretly placed enough gold pieces in each to provide dowry for the girls.

Another variations of the custom of hanging out stockings for Santa Claus (popular name for Saint Nicholas) are putting hay and carrots in their shoes by Dutch children for the horse of their dear Sinterklass who is their patron saint and brings them presents. Swedish children wait for a kindly gnome called the Tomte instead of Santa on Christmas. This gnome is believed to live under the floorboards. In some parts of France, Mexico and Spain, children wait for the Three Kings to fill their shoes with presents.

However, children of north French pray that Pere Fouettard or Father Spanker would not visit them as he is reputed to punish and spank children, if they are naughty and bad. La Befana is another version of Santa that visits the Italian children and gives them gifts albeit on Epiphany or 6th of January. Agios Vasilis, the Saint of Letters visit the Greek children living in plains but those living in the mountains are taken care of by the tiny elves who bring the desired gifts to the good little children. The tradition of giving gifts reminds us that Jesus himself was a gift to the world and the gifts that he received when he was born.


(sources : here)


Monday, November 30, 2009

HOME is where the heart is


This week in Quote Graffiti,

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.
-William Wordsworth



Tools : Pen, Acrylic Paint, Colour Pencils.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Felt Owl Ornament

I'ved received from Kelly Aubert on the swap of Owl Ornament that we had in swap bot recently.

I love this felt owl so much !!!!


And she also send me something very interesting that I will share with you next week.


Handmade Christmas Owl



Ho ho ho ....


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

What Step Do You Wish To Take ?


Horray , another Wishcasting Wednesday... This morning, I'm wonder what will Jamie ask us in today's Wishcasting. Yay...I think I'm addicted ...


Okay... today question is " What Step Do You Wish To Take ? ".


What a co-incident that I read these quote .....



If you see your path laid out in front of you -- Step one, Step two, Step three -- you only know one thing... it is not your path. Your path is created in the moment of action. If you can see it laid out in front of you, you can be sure it is someone else's path. That is why you see it so clearly.

Joseph Campbell



AND



Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.

Mark Victor Hansen



So, on your mark and get started today !

Play with { Ink }


This weekend, played with all kind of ink I had.
The Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Tsukineko Brilliance, Pigment Ink Pad, StazOn, Pretty Colours and etc.
Rubber Stamp I used ~ from Michelle Ward.


Sunday, November 22, 2009

Random Post : Street Artist

I was surprised when I saw this uncle sell his art in street , entrance to the Majlis Jamek LRT Station.


He draw very well especially the Dragon () and Phoenix (鳳凰).

Chinese considered the dragon and phoenix symbolic of blissful relations between husband and wife, another common yin and yang metaphor.


His leg was suffered from the highly infected virus Polio when he was young.


He was shy when I taken his pictures.



I bought back one of his drawing, the 龍鳳

Hope my little money will help him.

Free Oriental Images





Free Images for Personal Used only.



Wednesday, November 18, 2009

What do you wish to embrace ?


Yay ! Another Wishcasting Wednesday.

I wish to embrace the life that I have now with family, friends, web-friend.
I wish to embrace the continually flow of creativity that allow my passion on art & postcards burning.
I wish to embrace the time I have to live lively.


Tags:

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Magic Trees

In response to the Quote Graffiti prompt 1 ~

"A painter told me that nobody could draw a tree without in some way becoming a tree."


Ralph Waldo Emerson, "History," Essays


I used sequins and glitter to make the magic tree !
I spread a layer of modelling/polystyrene Glue, arrange the sequins then the glitter.


About Quote Graffiti :
Every other Wednesday, a quote will be posted.
Use the quote as inspiration to create a work around or incorporate the quote itself into your work.





Edited 30/11/09, found Create Tuesday in world of blogging, the theme for this week is "TREE" sounds .....So the theme is to draw, paint, or create a tree or trees with your own ideas. The image of the same tree above does not do justice to the idea but I think you get the point.